Jingle All the Way is forgettable, and that, more than anything else, is why I recommend passing up this holiday offering.

For those who appreciate movies with a bite, Ridicule shows its teeth early and keeps them razor-sharp throughout.

This is unbelievably rich material, and I can say without reservation that Scott Hicks' work deserves the highest recognition. Shine truly does what its name says.

This is one of the year's most unabashed and powerful love stories, using flawless performances, intelligent dialogue, crisp camera work, and loaded glances to attain a level of eroticism and emotional connection that many similar films miss.

The basketball star's power might be the drawing card for Space Jam, but the Looney Tunes group steals the spotlight – at least as often as Pytka will let them.

If not for a somewhat forced catharsis during the epilogue (the weakest segment of the movie), Breaking the Waves would have been more wrenching than it is.

Ransom isn't a bad thriller, it's just not a great one. There's a little too much pointless running around, a subplot that leads nowhere, and a certain creeping predictability that argues for a shorter running length.

What sets this movie apart from the innumerable other entries into the action/caper genre is its social perspective. Set It Off doesn't preach, but you'd have to be blind not to recognize that there's a message here about the kind of desperation that can result from the familiar cycle of poverty, sexism, and racism.

While such a loud, brash interpretation may not go down in cinematic history as the definitive version of the play, hopefully it will open a few eyes and widen the audience willing to venture into any movie bearing the credit "based on the play by William Shakespeare."

Isn't loaded with promise, but at least the producers had the good sense to hire Bill Murray. Jack is the kind of irritable, self- absorbed guy that Murray can play perfectly, and the comedian's presence in Larger than Life lifts it to a considerably higher level than it might have otherwise attained.

Isn't just bad, it's very bad.

A wonderfully nostalgic, and occasionally insightful, window into the recent past.

Enjoyable in a shallow way, but there's nothing so special here that it warrants more than a cursory glance.

Two and one- half hours of gripping entertainment.

This is a film of tremendous scope and emotional depth that uncovers the soul of a novel and brings it to life on the screen.

Lee's primary objective is to reflect back and offer a uniquely personal perspective of that single day last October. This viewpoint, which ultimately transcends the movie's flaws, is one of the aspects that makes for a worthwhile two hours.

Mechanical and artificial, and tells you what to think.

Putting aside all the controversy, however, viewers are left with an expertly-directed and well-acted historical epic that disappoints only in its shallow perspective of the Irish/British and Irish/Irish conflicts.

Great premise, terrible execution.

I like Steve Buscemi. I really do, which is why it's such an disagreeable task to write a review that condemns his directorial debut as a waste of film. I'm not talking about a good idea gone awry, I'm referring to something that's rotten to the core.

For those who are interested in observing the habits of real lions and viewing genuine life-and- death struggles in Africa, I direct your attention to The Leopard Son, which is still in theatrical release. That well-constructed documentary has stronger drama, tension, and cinematography than the supposedly-real story told in The Ghost and the Darkness. True, it's missing Tom Wilkinson sneering, Michael Douglas smirking, and Val Kilmer looking bored, but no movie can boast everything.

After watching Microcosmos, it will be impossible to take a walk in the woods without being aware of the amazing tapestry of activity going on all around, yet out of sight.

From the first scene, however, it's obvious that the writing/directing team of Andy and Larry Wachowski are aiming for something considerably higher than rudimentary titillation. And, by taking chances and twisting conventions, they have hit paydirt.

Although Hanks' film starts out strong, it finishes on shaky ground... A serio-comedy/fantasy whose light dramatic arc can't support the awkward and unnecessarily melodramatic ending.

All-in-all, what we have here is classic Seagal. And that means, for anyone who isn't an admitted fan, an uninspired outing.

Represents the director at his best -- unsentimental yet powerful, funny and poignant, and, in the end, undeniably satisfying.

I enjoyed 2 Days in the Valley. It's pure entertainment – nothing too serious, nothing too deep – with an artistic sensibility. It's rare for movies these days to recognize that the audience might have an intelligence, and even more unusual for them not to talk down to those in the not-so-cheap seats. So, if you're looking for some smart fun, John Herzfeld's feature is a worthy choice. And you don't need two days – just two hours.

Extreme Measures isn't going to be described as the "slam bang thrill ride" of the Autumn, or any other such nonsense. The film's inherent tension comes not from the shootouts and chases, but from its core ethical questions -- questions that ultimately have to be addressed, not only in movies, but in real life. "If you could cure cancer by killing one person, wouldn't you have to do it?" Obviously, there's no easy answer, and, whether you agree or disagree with the position taken by Extreme Measures, at least the film frames its response in an entertaining, and occasionally thought-provoking, package.